Full Moon Rising
by Mirror Water
Summary: Oz is arrested for the kidnapping of Willow. But he didn't do it. And they arrested him on the worst night ever. When Buffy busts him out of jail, he must find Willow before nightfall, or he, and Willow, and all the others, will die. Short story.
1. The Story

Willow's voice echoed through the darkness. Her voice sounded weak, and terrified. "Oz, Oz, help me. God help me Oz."

I shot up. I shuddered, clutching my knees to my chest and feeling that cold, empty feeling I always had since after I had left. I had told Willow that losing her after I had found her and Xander was like losing an arm, leg or even a torso. Now, I felt like I had my heart ripped out. More than once I have found myself crying, something I normally wouldn't be caught dead doing…

Poor me, you must be thinking. Poor misunderstood, misguided Oz. Misguided? No. Misunderstood? Hell, yeah.

I felt oddly stiff, something that always came around a full moon.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

I stood stretching my arms towards the air. I walked to the door, and opened it.

"Are Daniel Osborne? You are under arrest for the kidnapping of Winifred Burkle."

"Pick up…" I snarled at the phone. It was 5 o'clock.

"Hello?"

"Buffy!" I hissed, my anger seething like a wave.

"Oz?" Her voice was a question.

"Buffy, they've arrested me."

"What? What did you do? Oz, Willow…"

"They think I kidnapped Willow!"

Buffy paused. "Did you?"

"No! Buffy, you don't understand, I can't go to jail!"

"Well, sure I believe you but why is it a big deal?"

"Buffy," I seethed, the phone was beginning to groan under my grip, "Look at your calendar. Look at today's date."

"Jeeze Oz I don't…" She was silent. "We'll be right over."

I paced in my cage. They were considerate enough to give me a window. Joy.

"Oz… Oz…"

I turned. "Buffy, thank G-"

"Shhhh!" We're gonna get you out!"

She jerked on the window, and it groaned under her tug, but didn't more. Furiously, I rammed into it, jarring it from the window.

"Wow, nice job."

"Get me out of here NOW Buffy!"

"Well, gee mister picky…"

She grabbed my arms and pulled me out. It was bright out in the full moon.

"Buffy," I snarled warningly, "get me somewhere safe NOaaaaaagh!"

My entire body stretched, screamed. I looked at Buffy. She pulled a gun out of her pocket, and pulled the trigger. Blackness fell.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up on a floor. Cool sun shine filtered in and baked the clay floor.

"Oz?" Giles stared at me through the bars.

I sat up, holding my head.

"Good morning, sleepy head!" Xander's chirped cheerfully. I couldn't help but snarl. Xander glanced at Giles and said, "Are you sure we can let him out?"

"It's called a Gorgeman. It, eh, feeds off of human souls and love, and it does that by kidnapping its victims and killing everyone they know and do or have loved."

"So your basically saying we're all going to die?"

Buffy nodded. "That's the uncheerful way of putting it."

"Well, how do you stop him?"

"Well, its really quite simple actually," Giles said sitting into a chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Everyone was silent.

"Actually?"

"One of the victim's closest has to give there lives." Giles finished.

Immediately, Buffy said, "I'm going. You can't stop me."

"Buffy, you can't let it kill you you're the Slayer!" Giles snapped, "We already talked about this!"

"Yeah, Giles is right." Xander sighed. "I think I should be the one…"

"Why because you and Willow…"

I sat there, thinking while they argued. "I'll go."

Silence.

"I am the least important here. I'll go."

Buffy was the first to speak. "But you'll need back…"

"No!" I growled forcefully. " It's not safe for you to be with me. I could bring you all down." I looked at Giles. "Where do I find him?

"What is it with monsters and the city sewers?" I hissed. Giles said the entrance was right around… "There."

I crawled into a tiny hole and began to walk. Suddenly, I heard a sound.

"And Buffy, and Giles, and Xander, and Oz. A werewolf? They will all die."

I heard her whimper, "Buffy will destroy you!"

Whatever had spoken first, I assumed Gorgeman, laughed. "Foolish one! She will die saving you! That is all I want! The slayer dead!" A silence fell. "And it looks like I got my wish! Slayer, come out!"

I was perplexed, but stepped out of the shadows quickly. A gruesome creature, with a lobster claw hand, white, cataract eyes, stared at me. "Ah, Slayer, I am honored."

He picked up a gun in his other hand, a gruesomely deformed human hand, and pointed it at my chest. "You must learn at how foolish you were though… Willow was not the victim here. You were. Willow was a decoy, and will die anyway."

Wait, I knew Buffy and was close to me, so if I killed myself, Willow would still be safe. I stared at my Willow. She was staring at me in shock, her eyes round and filled with tears. "Oz…" She whimpered.

"I hear that slayers blood spills fast when hit with a silver bullet." He smile. "Lets smell."

He raised the gun and aimed it at my chest. "Good bye, Slayer."

Willow, I mouthed.

"Oz, no!" Willow cried out. "OZ!"

He pulled the trigger.


End file.
